Radio apparatus



April 22, 194-1 w. GRAY 2,239,170

RADIO APPARATUS Filed April 26, 1959 flua4.

1N VEN TOR.

ATTORNEYfi.

Patented Apr. 22, 1941 UNITED RADIO APPARATUS Walter Park Gray,Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to The Crosley Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio,a

corporation of Ohio Application April 26, 1939, Serial No. 270,169

4 Claims.

My invention relates to radio apparatus including reproducing means, andis particularly applicable to radio devices housed in cabinets of theso-called console type.

The fundamental object of my invention is the provision of a new type ofcabinet which in conjunction with radio apparatus arranged in a certainway gives a superior reproduction of music and voice.

It is an object of my invention to provide in a radio cabinet meanswhich enhances the faithfulness and quality of sound reproduction.

It is an object of my invention to provide a cabinet structure capableof being used with radio apparatus to attain the aforesaid effects whichis both simple and inexpensive to construct and is decorative andpleasing in appearance.

These and other objects of my invention which will be set forthhereinafter or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon readingthis specification, I accomplish by that certain construction andarrangement of parts of which I shall now describe a preferredembodiment. For clearness reference is now made to the drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the exemplary form of my radioapparatus.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional View thereo taken along the line 22of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view thereof taken along the line 3-3of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a partial vertical section showing a modification of thestructure.

Briefly in the practice of my invention, I provide in a radio cabinet,preferably through not necessarily of the console type since myinvention is applicable to smaller cabinets also, a structure in which alower central portion of the radio cabinet is depressed with respect tothe general level of the front of the cabinet and assumes a slantingposition, approaching the said general level more nearly at the bottomof the cabinet than at the top of the recessed portion. The recessedpanel terminates upwardly in a shelflike structure which is horizontalor substantially so and to which the loudspeaker is mounted. The shelfis cut away in part at least over the area of the cone of the speaker,the speaker body extending above the shelf. In this way a combinedchamber and bafile is provided at the front of the radio cabinet whichhas a peculiar effect in increasing the faithfulness and beauty of thereproduction of sound. Also since the aforesaid chamber begins at apoint interspaced from the top of the cabinet, room is provided in tilthe cabinet and above the said chamber for the chassis and appurtenancesof the radio set proper, and on the front of the cabinet space isprovided for the dial and controls of the radio set where thisparticular location of them is desired.

In the exemplary embodiment of my invention as shown in the severalfigures, I have shown a cabinet which not only is of simple andrelatively inexpensive construction but also is beautiful and distinctlyin the modern manner. The specific embodiment of my invention also is acabinet which may be made, so far as the main exterior surfaces areconcerned, substantially entirely of veneered plywood. It will beapparent, however, as the description proceeds that the particular styleof cabinet which I have chosen as an exemplary embodiment does notconstitute a limitation upon the fundamental aspects of my invention,and that certain novel features of my invention, as set forth in theappended claims may be embodied in cabinets of widely varyingconstruction.

The cabinet as illustrated comprises a base frame I and a back frame 4,the relationship of which will be understood from the drawing. The sidesof the cabinet and portions of the front are made of plywood elements 5and 6 which are attached along one edge to the back frame, and extendforwardly about the base frame. In the top portion of the cabinet theseplywood members approach each other as at 1 and 8 in the general planeof the front of the cabinet. Between them I insert another panel 9 tocomplete the top portion of the front of the cabinet. In the particularembodiment shown, this top portion of the front of the cabinets extendsdownwardly for between one-quarter and one-third of the total height ofthe cabinet, and terminates in a batten or molding member indicated atII).

It will be evident that as a variant construc tion I may make theportions 5, E and 9 of a single piece of plywood, if desired. Thus theplywood may be split in the middle part way up from the bottom, and thematerial in the center may be curved backwardly to form the sideportions of the recess.

Below this portion of the cabinet the ends of the plywood members 5 and6 are bent inwardly as at H and I2. A cross sectional View of thecabinet in this portion (as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2) wouldshow a U-shaped configuration of the plywood members, each Uhaving ashorter and a longer leg. Viewed from the front as in Figure 1, the twoside portions of the front of the radio cabinet form interspaced roundedcolumns. The base frame I, which may be convoluted and finished to forman exterior base trim or molding as indicated at l3, will be recessedsomewhat between the columns as indicated at l4. Surmounting theinwardly turned portions of the side pieces and 6, I provide a shelf IS.The inwardly turned portions of the side members 5 and 5 may be fastenedto frame members It and H, which in turn are fastened at their lowerends to the base frame I and at their upper ends to the shelf It, so asto retain the parts in the relationship shown.

In the particular exemplary embodiment I have provided a top frame E3the edges of which are configured and finished to form an ornamental topedge molding l9, and which is sur mounted by a panel of plywood or thelike 29.

Examination of Figure 3 will show that the rear edge of the shelf I5 isfurther from the general plane of the front of the cabinet than is therecess M of the base frame. A panel 2! which again may be of plywood iscarried downwardly from the rear edge of the shelf [5 to a point nearthe edge of the recess it. At its lower edge it may be fastened to abatten 22 which in turn is fastened to the base frame and at its upperedge it may be fastened to a molding 23 which in turn is fastened to theunder side of the shelf 55. Thus the panel 2! is not truly vertical butslopes backwardly at a substantial angle from its lower edge to itsupper edge.

In its broadest aspect, my invention contemplates the'provision of arecess in the cabinet which recess has vertically extending side membersand a rear member sloping backwardly from thebottom toward the top, saidback member terminating in a substantially horizontal shelf with respectto which, as has already been indicated, the loudspeaker is mounted. Itwill thus be evident that changes may be made in the cabinetconstruction without departing from the spirit of this broadest aspectof my invention. Thus the configuration of the side members of thecabinet, and whether they are round or rectangular or have other shapesin cross section, or are plain or configured or curved, does not form alimitation thereon. Also modifications may be made in the particularcabinet which I have illustrated, and which is one in which the dial 24and the control members 25 and 26 are located on the front of thecabinetin the panel portion 9. Where it is desired to provide a cabinet inwhich the controls are concealed, or where it is desired to embody inthe cabinet phonographic apparatus as well as radio apparatus, the topframe l8 or the top panel 2% may be hinged and the controls located in ahidden position.

Now since the recess referred to and the shelf I5 which surmounts it islocated in the cabinet in a position interspaced from the top thereof,room is provided for the chassis a-ndappurtencances of the radio setwithin the cabinet. I have shown the chassis 2'5 located upon asupplementary. shelf-like'frame 23 mounted in the cabinet suficientlyabove the shelf IE to permit a loudspeaker indicated generally at 2dbeing located therebetween. It is, however, within the scope of myinvention to carry the shelf l5 across the horizontal section of thecabinet in such a way as to provide sufficient space to mount the radiochassis directly thereon. This is feasible especially'since, as I shallpresently point out, it is: preferred to mount the loudspeaker offcenterof the recess.

The loudspeaker 29 is as aforesaid located on the shelf l5 and fastenedthereto; and the shelf 15 is cut away as at 36 over all or a portion ofthe area of the cone speaker. The speaker therefore speaks through theshelf and the shelf and the baffle 2| together with the side wallportions of the radio cabinet form an efficient baiile for theloudspeaker. Additionally, the shelf l5, the panel 21 and the adjacentside portions of the recess form a chamber which not only givesexcellent propagation of the sound outwardly into the room, but alsoaugments and renders more faithful the reproduction of the sound.

The degree to which the panel is tilted can be considerably varied. Ihave, for example, shown in Figure 4 a construction in which the shelfl5a is carried horizontally across the cabinet, and in which the panel25a extends from near the front of the cabinet at its lower end to nearthe rear of the cabinet at its upper end, having a considerably greaterangle to the vertical than that illustrated in Figure 3. For differentcircumstances diff-erent angularities of the panel seem to give the bestresults. I have found also that instead of centering the loudspeaker inthe shelf, it is best to keep the loudspeaker well to one side of therecess and where the shelf is quite wide as in Figure 4 to keep it nearthe panel 25a.

Modifications may be made in my invention without departing from thespirit of it. Having thus described my invention what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a structure of the character described; a cabinet having side andtop portions and a front portion extending across it near the top, saidcabinet having in its lower portions, front parts at each side andinwardly extending parts defining the side portions of a recess, saidrecess having a back panel sloping rearwardly from bottom to top andterminating in a substantially horizontal shelf substantially at thebase of said front portion whichextends across said cabinet to support aloudspeaker mounted within said cabinet and on said shelf, said shelfbeing cut away over a portion at least of the area thereof covered bysaid loudspeaker whereby said speaker may speak through said shelf, therear of said cabinet being open.

2. In. a structure of the character described, a cabinet comprisingbase, top and back frames, panel members for said cabinet attached tosaid frame members and forming sides for said cabinet and portions ofthe front thereof, said panel members being inwardly turned atv thefront of said cabinet so as to approach the back frame thereof and so asto form the side walls of a recess-therein, a shelf in said cabinet atthe top of said recess and a panel closing therear of said recess andextending from said shelf to said base frame at an angle to thevertical, said shelf being adapted to support a loudspeaker locatedwithin said cabinet, and said shelf being cut in part at least over thearea thereof covered by saidloudepeaker.

3. In a structure of the character described, a cabinet comprising base,top and back. frames, panel members for said cabinet attached to saidframe members and forming sides for said cabinet and portions of thefront thereof, said panel members being inwardly turned at the front ofsaid cabinet so as to approach the back frame thereof and so as to formthe side walls of a. recess therein, a shelf in said cabinet at the topof said; recess and a panel closing the'rear ofsaid recess and extendingfrom, said shelf to said base frame at an angle to the vertical, said 4.A structure as claimed in claim 3 in which shelf adapted to support a.loudspeaker located said panel forming the back of said recess slopesthereon within said cabinet and said shelf being rearwardly from aposition at the bottom near cut away in part at least over the areathereof the front of said cabinet to a position at the covered by saidloudspeaker, said recess ter- 5 top near said back frame.

minating short of the top of said cabinet, and a member bridging thespace between said side WALTER PARK GRAYi members in the front area ofsaid cabinet located above said recess.

